Salary : $149,753.00 - $189,102.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Job Number: 2025-00777
Department: Dept. of Commerce
Division: Director's Office
Opening Date: 01/31/2025
Closing Date: 2/10/2025 11:59 PM Pacific
Description This position will be located in either our Olympia Office or Seattle Office Chief Operations Officer The Department of Commerce has an exciting opportunity for a leader who enjoys providing critical operations services to one of Washington's fastest growing state agencies! If this sounds like you, keep reading!
This is your opportunity to lead a dynamic team, delivering high quality professional services to over 800 professionals, as our Chief Operating Officer (COO)! Commerce is the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable community development and economic vitality in Washington. Commerce manages a diverse portfolio that includes more than 140 programs, several state boards and commissions, and other entities including numerous local, state, regional, and federal partners and stakeholders, both public and private, all focused on helping communities achieve positive growth.
The COO leads the Operations Division which provides administrative and financial support for over 800 employees with a biennial budget of $9 billion. The COO, has agency-wide impact, leading approximately 161 full-time employees (FTEs) in human resources, information technology, equity and belonging, internal audit, agency policy, finance, budget, contracting, facilities, telecom, purchasing, safety and emergency management, mail and public disclosure. The COO directs process improvement efforts, analyzes process and outcome measures, conducts problem solving, and collaborates across the agency.
Duties Here is some of what you'll do: Strategic and technical leadership of Commerce's daily business operations, ensuring programs are efficient, effective and accountable. This includes oversight of accounting and budgeting, information technology, human resources, equity and belonging, operations and facilities management.
Develops, directs and leads operations through meeting their statutory requirements, policy initiatives performance measures, revenue commitments and budgetary constraints.
Serves as executive sponsor and leader for the agency's process improvement, change management, metrics and accountability work, including coordinating these activities with the Governor's priorities, insuring compliance with Executive orders, cooperation and compliance with legislatively mandated reports, and other enterprise projects and initiatives.
Champion of Commerce's vision, mission, values, and culture.
Creates a positive work environment, positioning Commerce as an employer of choice.
Qualifications Who should apply? Professionals with any combination of nine (9) total years of education and/or experience. This could be gained by a combination of relevant education, beyond high school equivalency, and/or senior level public management experience, including the management of a large government operating budget, team, or equivalent.
A minimum of five (5) years of the above referenced experience must be in senior management, advising or leadership within state government.
Applicants will need to possess: Demonstrated executive management level experience including management of other management level positions.
The ability to plan, lead, organize and control the internal operations of the agency; to ensure appropriate and optimum use of the organization's resources and enhance the effectiveness of employees through timely appraisal and professional development opportunities; to support effective communications throughout the organization; and to maintain the highest standards of personal/professional and ethical conduct and support the State's goals for a diverse workforce.
Understanding of the legislative processes and operating in a political environment. Must have experience building and maintaining relationships with constituent groups, such as city and county officials, nonprofit service providers, other state agencies and legislators.
Knowledge of contemporary management techniques, ability to provide leadership and direction to managers and staff. Must have experience managing, developing and mentoring a large, complex budget and excellent written, oral and public speaking skills.
Experience in policy development and execution; the ability to articulate ill-defined problems and orchestrate a team to implement plans to address and resolve the same; and the ability to work with a wide array of stakeholders including the Governor's office, the legislature, Commerce leadership, other agencies, companies, associations.
Preferred/Desired Education, Experience and Competencies: Master's degree in business, public administration, public policy or a closely related field.
Experience applying lean management principles for continuous change and process improvement.
Competencies: Collaboration - Helps team and stakeholders meet goals and responsibilities, listens to others and values opinions, promotes a collaborative environment, is a trusted partner who communicates openly and honestly.
Interpersonal Skills - Has good listening skills, builds strong relationships, is flexible/open-minded, negotiates effectively, solicits performance feedback and handles constructive criticism.
Quality - Is committed to excellence, looks for improvements continuously, monitors quality levels, finds root causes of issues, owns/act on issues, and turns mistakes into learning opportunities.
Budget/Cost Control - Plans for and uses resources efficiently, always looks for ways to reduce costs, creates accurate and realistic budgets, tracks and adjusts budgets, contributes to budget planning.
Communication - Communicates well both verbally and in writing, creates accurate and punctual reports, delivers presentations, shares information and ideas with others, has good listening skills.
Decision Making/Judgment - Recognizes problems and responds, systematically gathers information, sorts through complex issues, seeks input from others, addresses root cause of issues, makes timely decisions, can make difficult decisions, uses consensus, when possible, communicates decisions to others.
Sense of Urgency - Prioritizes well, shows energy, reacts to opportunities, instills urgency in others, meets deadlines.
Organizational Savvy - Operates within the organization's formal and informal structures, builds allies and relationships across departments, uses allies to build consensus and create results, is appropriately diplomatic, understands others' roles and perspectives, can sell projects and ideas across the organization.
Strategic Thinking - Creates and communicates a long-term vision, balances short and long term goals, keeps own and team's work aligned with overall goals, understands the market and can predict change, understands the industry and the competition, creates and adjusts strategic plans.
To be considered for this position, the following are needed: A letter of interest with a detailed description of your experience as it pertains to the qualifications listed.
A complete and detailed online application.
At least three professional references (enter online).
For questions about this recruitment, please contact Elly Price via email: - please reference the job number in your message.
Supplemental Information This position may be located anywhere within Washington State though occasional travel to a Commerce office building or in-state travel to attend events or meetings may be required. If selected, you will need to travel to pick up equipment and receive instruction. Many Commerce employees work remote or have a hybrid schedule.
This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies over the next 60 days.
Technical support is provided by NEOGOV, 855-524-5627 (can't log in, password or email issues, error messages). DES job seeker support may answer general questions regarding the recruiting system at
The initial screening will be solely based on the contents and completeness of your application and application materials submitted. All information may be verified, and documentation may be required.
More than Just a Paycheck! Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.
We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.
Read about our benefits: The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.
Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.
Insurance Benefits Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.
Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.
To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.
Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.
Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.
The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.
Retirement and Deferred Compensation State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.
Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.
Social Security All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Holidays Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.
Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.
Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday.
Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.
Sick Leave Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave.
Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
Vacation (Annual Leave) Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.
Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.
Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
As provided in , an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165.
Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for
exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.
Military Leave Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.
Bereavement Leave Most employees whose family member or household member dies, are entitled to three (3) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.
Additional Leave Leave Sharing
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Leave Without Pay
Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.
Updated 12-31-2022
01
Please provide a formal cover letter in the space below, detailing your interest in the position and explaining why you believe you are the ideal candidate for this role.
02
How many years of Combined professional experience AND/OR Formal education in senior level public management to include the management of a large government operating budget, team, or equivalent do you have?
- I do not have this experience
- I have less than 7 years of professional experience AND/OR Formal education
- I have more than 7 years but less than 8 years of professional experience AND/OR Formal education
- I have more than 8 years but less than 9 years of professional experience AND/OR Formal education
- I have more than 9 years but less than 10 years of professional experience AND/OR Formal education
- 10 or more years of professional experience AND/OR Formal education
03
If you indicated you have experience noted above, please explain how, where and when you gained this knowledge and experience (must also be reflected in the work experience of your application). If you answered no, please type N/A in the text box below.)
04
Do you have minimum of five (5) years of the above referenced experience in senior management, advising or leadership within state government?
05
Can you provide examples of how you ensured cohesion and alignment across multiple management-level leaders in an organization?
06
What strategies have you used to ensure that internal operations run smoothly and that all employees understand and contribute to the organization's objectives?
07
What modern management techniques have you implemented to drive organizational change or improve team performance? Can you provide a specific example of success in this area?
08
How have you managed differing stakeholder opinions when developing a policy or initiative? What steps did you take to gain buy-in from all parties involved?
09
As a condition of employment, I understand and agree that I must reside in the state of Washington prior to or on the first day of state employment.
10
Are you a current or former employee of the state of Washington?
11
If you answered yes, please list which agency.
12
Please select the option below that best indicates where you heard about this job opportunity.
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- Aggregate job search website (Indeed.com, Simplyhired.com)
- Department of Commerce website
- Department of Commerce employee
- Social Media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter)
Required Question